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Witness: Jealousy behind Monticello shootings

Dartunorro Clark, dclark1@jconline.com
10:19 p.m. EDT August 5, 2014

Police tape cordons off the area following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

A blanket is draped over a car following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police move the body of one of the victims to a van following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

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Police collect information at the scene following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, police found a man dead in the parking lot shortly before noon. A second man was found dead in a car in the parking lot. A woman found in the passenger seat of the car was transported to IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. A handgun was found at the scene.(Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier John Terhune/Journal & Courier)Buy Photo

MONTICELLO Jealousy may be the reason three people — two men and a woman — are dead after shots were fired late Tuesday morning in a parking lot at a furniture manufacturer on this White County city's south side.

Sheriff Patrick Shafer said Tuesday evening that authorities are not looking for a person of interest — an indication that authorities believe the shooter is among the dead.

The victims' names have not been released, and police provided few details. But Maria Villagrana, a Jordan Manufacturing Co. Inc. employee, in a telephone call translated by her daughter, who has the same name, told the Journal & Courier that she witnessed the entire incident.

Police tape cordons off the area following a shooting in the parking lot of Jordan Manufacturing Tuesday, August 5, 2014, at 1200 S. Sixth in Monticello. According to White County Sheriff Patrick Shafer, three people died in the shooting.
By John Terhune

According to Villagrana, the ex-husband of the female victim came to the plant Tuesday holding a gray box, a type that often holds flower arrangements. He asked and was told that the female victim was at lunch.

Villagrana said she went outside, and while talking on her cellphone, she saw the man, with the box, hiding behind a tree near a building.

A car, bearing a man and a woman, pulled into the parking lot. Villagrana said she tried to inform the woman in the car that her ex-husband was nearby. Villagrana said she was about 4 feet from the car when the man walked up, drew a handgun from the box, pointed it inside the car and shot the male, who was in the driver's seat, the woman and then himself.

Villagrana said she started screaming and ran inside the plant to inform others.

When officers arrived, they found a man's body on the ground, with a gun nearby. The man in the car was dead. The woman was taken to nearby IU Health White Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Villagrana said the female victim had told her about a previous incident in which the victim and the ex-husband had a disagreement about their child that led to an altercation. She also said that the ex-husband did not like to see the victim with other men.

"He was jealous," Villagrana said.

Shafer said both victims who were in the car were Jordan Manufacturing employees.

Detectives found a box at the scene, Shafer said.

The shootings were reported about 11:30 a.m. Shafer said he expected to release more details Wednesday, including the names of the three people. He declined to discuss a possible motive for the shootings.

Jordan Manufacturing's website says it's a family-owned and -operated business that's been in business for more than 30 years. The company makes patio furniture, umbrellas, cushions and pet beds.

The company announced on Facebook and its Twitter account that it would be open Wednesday "to anyone that would like to work" and said counseling services are available.

Jordan Manufacturing will be open tomorrow, August 6, 2014 to anyone that would like to work. Counseling services are available.